Tag Archives: Rob Putaansuu

At Tuesday’s work study meeting, Port Orchard City Council
members parceled out committee assignments. Most of the time, this
is a process of seeing who steps forward to volunteer for a
committee, but in the case of the finance committee, there were
more applicants (five) than slots (three).

The reason, Mayor Lary Coppola said after the meeting, boils
down to: money is power. “It’s the decision-making committee,”
Coppola said. “So many decisions that happen on the council are
driven by money.”

Councilman Fred Chang, one of the five contenders, put it this
way, “For those of us not on it, we feel there’s a lot of
information discussed there, and by the time it gets to the
council, there’s already three of the four votes we need (out of
seven council members to make a majority). … It’s not so much that
they make decisions against what the rest of the council would
agree with, it’s just that we’re not privy to information we
need.”

Council members do receive minutes of committee meetings, not
quite the same as being in on the discussion, I would guess.

Council members who have served on the finance committee for the
past two years include John Clauson (chairman), Rob Putaansuu and
Carolyn Powers. Besides the three incumbents and Chang, Councilman
Jerry Childs threw his hat into the ring for the upcoming term.

Council members each wrote their three top recommendations for
the committee on slips of paper. City Clerk Patti Kirkpatrick
tallied the winners: John Clauson (who also was chosen by the
council to remain chair), Rob Putaansuu and Jerry Childs.

The process seemed to me a little old school and had shades of a
fourth grade popularity contest. But, according to City Attorney
Greg Jacoby, it was all above board. I had the misconception that
no action could be taken at a work study meeting. That’s not true,
Jacoby said. State statutes allow final action to be taken on items
at properly publicized work study meetings, as long as the item is
on the agenda and as long as it doesn’t involve approval of
contracts or bills for payment. Jacoby said it is customary for
Port Orchard (and most other local jurisdictions) to use study
sessions for in-depth discussions and briefing on issues that will
come before them at regular council meetings.

Furthermore, said Jacoby, the paper slip voting did not
constitute final action. The council will entertain a resolution at
its regular meeting Jan. 26 regarding committee membership. Terms
run two years. Writing the names on paper was a way to come to
consensus on the council’s recommendations for the finance
committee.

Information
on committees and boards can be found on the city’s Web site.
Upcoming committee meetings, which are open to the public, are
listed on the regular council meeting agenda, which is available on
the city’s Web site and by request by calling City Hall, (360)
876-4407.